St. Luke the Prophet and Evangelist

St. Luke, who is credited with recording the life of Christ through his Gospel of the New Testament, was also known as the "glorious physician," and for his artistic ability. St. Luke was born in Antioch, Syria, where he began to commit his life to Christ upon meeting St. Paul. Prior to this time, Luke was a well-known physician of his time, praised with his skill in healing the afflicted. However, around 50 AD, Luke left his calling behind and joined St. Paul so that together they could glorify Christ.
As a missionary orator, St. Luke was not as skilled as St. Paul. However, his talent in writing and artistry far surpassed the skill of many during that time. St. Luke is highly acclaimed for his contributions to The New Testament. The Book of Acts and the Gospel according to St. Luke are detailed in history, expression, and narration that is often thought to outshine other Christian literary works. His mastery of the Greek language allowed him to express his thoughts about Christ with such passion, much of which is lost in translation.
Moreover, St. Luke is recognized as one of the first iconographers of Christianity. He used his talent in art to depict the Virgin Mary holding the Christ-child. Upon seeing the icon, the Theotokos gave
St. Luke her blessing to continue with the depiction, which he later completed and presented to the Mother of God as a gift. Currently, this icon resides at the Mega Spileion monastery in Greece. Participants of Ionian Village visit this monastery to learn about St. Luke’s contribution to iconography, as well as of the icon’s discovery after being hidden in a cave and guarded by a beast for so long.

Saint Luke the Evangelist is the patron saint of artists, physicians, surgeons, and students.  

The holy relics of St. Luke the Apostle are so divided:

• His body, in the Abbey of Santa Giustina in Padua, Italy;
• His head, in the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic;
• One of his ribs, at his tomb in Thebes, Greece.

Read the miraculous story of "The Hermit, The Icon & The Emperor: The Holy Virgin Comes to Cyprus" by Chrissi Hart.

Color (or paint!) a picture of the most Holy Theotokos with your child and describe the importance of icon writing in our church life.